Vision Forum Ministries

April 17th Statement of the Vision Forum Ministries Board

by the Board of Vision Forum Ministries, April 17, 2014

In September of 2013, the board of Vision Forum Ministries was informed by Mr. Phillips that he had been involved in an inappropriate extra-marital relationship with a woman who had asked that her identity be kept confidential.
At that time, Mr. Phillips agreed to resign from the board of Vision Forum Ministries and was told that the matter would be further investigated.
After investigating the situation, the board took further action which ultimately included closing the ministry in November of 2013.
At no time did such action include advising anyone to threaten or intimidate Mrs. Torres-Manteufel to secure her silence regarding the relationship.
To the contrary, the board's position was that the involvement of Mr. Phillips in the relationship should be confessed publicly and that the sinful nature of the relationship required that the ministry discontinue operations.
The board did not know of this inappropriate relationship prior to September of 2013.

Clarification on Resignation

by Doug Phillips, November 14, 2013

I would like to express my gratitude for the great kindness so many have shown to my family in the wake of my stepping down as president of Vision Forum Ministries.
My family has been greatly encouraged by many loving notes we have received.
With that in mind, I want to be so very clear about the rightness of this transition, and I want to clear up some matters which have been brought to my attention.
My sin has resulted in great pain within the Body of Christ, some confusion, and has given the enemies of God reason to rejoice.
This is heartbreaking to me.
Some have suggested that my sin was not sufficiently serious to step down.
Let me be clear: it absolutely does merit my resignation.
My resignation is sincere and necessary given the weightiness of my sin.
Some reading the words of my resignation have questioned if there was an inappropriate physical component with an unmarried woman.
There was, and it was intermittent over a period of years.
The local church, not the Internet, is the proper forum for overseeing the details of a man's repentance, but I just want to be clear for the sake of peace within the Body of Christ, that the tragic events we are experiencing, including the closing of Vision Forum Ministries are my fault, and that I am sincere that I should not be in leadership, but must spend this season of my life quietly walking a path of proven repentance.
Please pray for the Phillips family, the Board, and the men who have made up the staff of Vision Forum Ministries.

Doug Phillips

The Closing of Vision Forum Ministries

by the Board of Vision Forum Ministries, November 11, 2013

In light of the serious sins which have resulted in Doug Phillips's resignation from Vision Forum Ministries, the Board of Directors has determined that it is in the best interests of all involved to discontinue operations.
We have stopped receiving donations, and are working through the logistical matters associated with the closing of the ministry.
While we believe as strongly as ever in the message of the ministry to the Christian family, we are grieved to find it necessary to make this decision.
We believe this to be the best option for the healing of all involved and the only course of action under the circumstances.

Statement of Resignation

by Doug Phillips, October 30, 2013

With thanksgiving to God for His mercy and love, I have stepped down from the office of president at Vision Forum Ministries and have discontinued my speaking responsibilities.

There has been serious sin in my life for which God has graciously brought me to repentance.
I have confessed my sin to my wife and family, my local church, and the board of Vision Forum Ministries.
I engaged in a lengthy, inappropriate relationship with a woman.
While we did not "know" each other in a Biblical sense, it was nevertheless inappropriately romantic and affectionate.

There are no words to describe the magnitude of shame I feel, or grief from the injury I caused my beloved bride and children, both of whom have responded to my repentance with what seems a supernatural love and forgiveness.
I thought too highly of myself and behaved without proper accountability.
I have acted grievously before the Lord, in a destructive manner hypocritical of life messages I hold dear, inappropriate for a leader, abusive of the trust that I was given, and hurtful to family and friends.
My church leadership came alongside me with love and admonition, providing counsel, strong direction and accountability.
Where I have directly wronged others, I confessed and repented.
I am still in the process of trying to seek reconciliation privately with people I have injured, and to be aware of ways in which my own selfishness has hurt family and friends.
I am most sensitive to the fact that my actions have dishonored the living God and been shameful to the name of Jesus Christ, my only hope and Savior.

This is a time when my repentance needs to be proven, and I need to lead a quiet life focusing on my family and serving as a foot soldier, not a ministry leader.
Though I am broken over my failures, I am grateful to be able to spend more time with my family, nurturing my wife and children and preparing my older sons and daughters for life.
So, for these reasons I want to let my friends know that I have stepped down as a board member and as president of Vision Forum Ministries.
The Board will be making provision for the management of the ministry during this time.
To the friends of this ministry, I ask for your forgiveness, and hope that you will pray for the Phillips family at this time, and for the men who will be responsible for shepherding the work of Vision Forum Ministries in the future.